Hosts college tour
Dr. Sanne ter Meulen
Ter Meulen is assistant professor in biomedical education at University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands. She is affiliated to the department Medical Physiology and to the innovation team of Biomedical Sciences masters within the Educational Center. She is currently involved in teaching and innovation in the biomedical educational field of Utrecht University. Amongst others, she coordinates the master programme Cardiovascular Health & Disease and the master profile Translational Life Sciences. In her education, Sanne further improves the dynamics between science and society. Her focus is to implement translational science within biomedical research education, by creating a learning environment where students can optimally train their skills required for a translational scientist.
Kees van de Sanden
Van de Sanden is a master student of Cancer, Stem Cells & Developmental Biology. Over the past five years, he has passionately immersed himself in the captivating world of biology, diligently pursuing his bachelor's degree and dedicated to making a lasting impact within his academic community and beyond. He served on the board of the UBV (Utrechtse Biologen Vereniging), fostering a vibrant and supportive environment for fellow students. Additionally, he held the position of editor-in-chief of the departmental magazine BioScope. As the president of the city council party ‘Student & Starter’ in 2021-2022, he focused on creating positive change, advocate for student interests, and shape a better future for all.  Today, Kees proudly stands as the chair of the LSR (Life Science Representatives), where he co-hosts the college tour and passionately champions the voices of the GSLS community, including his peers. He ensures that their opinions and concerns are heard, fostering an environment of inclusivity and collaboration.
Panel leden college tour
Prof. Dr. Henk Kummeling
Prof. Dr. Henk Kummeling has been professor of Constitutional Law since 1995 at Utrecht University. As distinguished professor, since 2015, his research focuses on institutions in new democratic constitutional states and the role of international organisations. He has a strong interest in connecting his work with universities in different parts of the world as is visible in his role as extraordinary Africa, and his involvement in higher education and research in the Dutch Caribbean and with the Anton de Kom University in Paramaribo, Surinam. Between 2005 and 2017 he was president of the Dutch Electoral Council, and he has been Rector Magnificus since 2018.
Drs. Maarten Huismans
Huismans is a fourth year PhD student working in translational oncology research. During his PhD, Huismans was part of the GSLS PhD Council as a representative for the clinical and translational oncology programme and part of the MD-PhD committee representing MD-PhDs, particularly in the UMCU. He is passionate about moving the PhD candidacy towards a job that is both challenging and achievable within an honest and paid contract. 
Prof. Dr. Celia Berkers
Berkers studied chemistry at Utrecht University, where she graduated with honours in 2003. She started her PhD at the Harvard Medical School in Boston and continued her research at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. Berkers received her PhD degree with honors in 2010 and was awarded the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Prize 2010 for most promising young scientist. She then moved to the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research in Glasgow, where she did a post-doc in the laboratory of Prof. Karen Vousden, supported by a Rubicon fellowship from NWO. In 2013, Dr Berkers joined the Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Department at Utrecht University as an independent group leader and was awarded a VENI grant from NWO-CW. In 2014, she was awarded the Heineken Young Scientists Award for Biochemistry and Biophysics by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Berkers was appointed full professor at the Faculties of Vetenary Medicine and Science in 2018 and is a member of the Young Academy of the Royal Academy, a group of 50 top young scientists and scholars in the Netherlands.
Dr. Bas van Breukelen
Van Breukelen joined the Science faculty March 2003. He received his PhD at the Utrecht Medical Centre in 2003 on the subject of the Adenovirus DNA replication and recombination. After his PhD he worked at the department of Biology where he developed a LIMS and pipeline for (statistical) analysis of microarray data. In 2005 he switched positions to work at the department of Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry where he works staff member (UD) in the field of Bioinformatics for proteomics. Since 2014 He is also involved in the Utrecht Bioinformatics Center (UBC) where he coordinates the Bioinformatics teaching efforts in his role as Bioinformatics Profile Coordinator for the Masters. As of september 2020 Bas is the coordinator of the Masters programme Bioinformatics and BioComplexity (BiBC). 
Workshop: Should we stay or should we grow?
Prof. Dr. Harold van Rijen
Van Rijen is the Director of the Graduate School of Life Sciences and Degree director of the Biomedical Sciences Master’s programmes. He is appointed as professor of Innovation in Biomedical Education at the University Medical Center Utrecht and is involved in educational innovation and research in (Master’s) education.
Dr. Pauline Krijgsheld
Krijgsheld is an Assistant Professor and Lecturer at the Graduate School of Life Sciences for both Utrecht University and the UMC Utrecht. She works as lecturer, policy advisor with focus on admissions, is coordinator on several Bachelor’s and Master’s courses, and is the chair of the GSLS Master’s Programme coordinators meeting. Moreover, she is Master’s programme coordinator of Bio Inspired Innovation and one of the initiators of the Maker space of Utrecht University: Lili’s Proto Lab.
Workshop: The master curriculum: continuing evolution or time for revolution?
Dr. Shirrinka Goubitz
Goubitz is the Managing director of the Graduate School of Life Sciences. In this interfaculty position she works for the faculties of Medicine, Sciences and Veterinary Medicine at both UU and UMC. She studied Biology at Utrecht University and after she obtained her PhD in Plant Biology, she started working as educational designer for the master programmes at the Faculty of Biology in 2001, which later became part of the current Faculty of Sciences. Over a period of 18 years she dedicated herself to all aspects of the GSLS. First she worked as a policy officer for the Biosciences master cluster and currently she is responsible for safeguarding the  governance of the GSLS and is also in charge of the policy and quality assurance of the master domain.
Nicoline Maljaars
Maljaars works as a policy officer for Biosciences. She did her bachelor studies Biomedical Sciences at Utrecht University and afterwards obtained her Master’s degree in Science Education and Communication. At the Graduate School of Life Sciences, she focuses on the admission process and coordination of the profiles. 
Dr. Tania Morán Luengo
Morán Luengo is an assistant professor at the UMC Utrecht, where she works as a policy officer and research project coordinator for Biomedical Sciences. She did her PhD in Cellular Protein Chemistry in which she studied the effects of chaperones in protein folding and disease. After her PhD, she joined the Graduate School of Life Sciences which she combines with teaching Biomolecular Chemistry in the MBLS bachelor program. At the GSLS, she focuses on the coordination of the research projects and on improving the student-supervisor relationship with many different initiatives. 
Dr. Kirsten Koymans
Koymans is an assistant professor at the UMC Utrecht, where she works as a policy officer and lecturer for Biomedical Sciences. She did her bachelor studies Biomedical Sciences in Utrecht and afterwards obtained her Master’s degree in Infection and Immunity. She continued with a PhD in Microbiology in which she studied bacterial immune evasion. After she obtained her PhD in 2016, she continued to work as a postdoctoral researcher and became a lecturer in both biomedical bachelor and master courses at the department of Medical Microbiology, before moving towards the Graduate School of Life Sciences in early 2020. One of her main tasks at the GSLS is the coordination and further development of the Life Sciences Academy. 
Workshop: GSLS Continuing Education: The start of embedding Continuing education within the GSLS
Dr. Maud Verhoef-Jurgens
Verhoef-Jurgens is the Educational Director Continuing Education of the Graduate School of Life Sciences. Since March this year, she is working in this challenging and new position. She combines this role with the Programme coordinator roles in the MSc and PhD programmes Epidemiology. Because of these programmes and the way that they are organized, she has a long experience in the field of educating professionals. She studied Epidemiology in Amsterdam, followed by a PhD at the UMC Utrecht within the field of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Since 2015 she is affiliated with the GSLS.
Prof. Dr. Wieger Bakker
Bakker is professor at the Utrecht University School of Governance within the faculty of Law, Economics and Governance (LEG). He holds a chair in Quality and Innovation of Society Oriented Higher Education. From 2017 until 2023 he was chairing the board of the Centre for Academic Teaching of Utrecht University and deputy director of the Inter University Centre Dubrovnik. From 2010 to 2018 he was director of the undergraduate program of the School of Governance. In December 2018 he was appointed as Dean Lifelong Learning for Utrecht University. In his work he is especially interested in university continuing education, citizenship education in a pluriform society; international cooperation in higher education; and in embedding inclusiveness and social responsibility in higher education. Next to his work in Utrecht he is Deputy Director General of the Interuniversity Centre Dubrovnik and guest professor at the Masaryk University in Brno. In 2020 he was apointed extra-ordinary professor Governance, Community and Cohesion at the University of Aruba.
Workshop: From preaching to practice
Dr. Saskia Ebeling
After a career as a researcher, Ebeling joined the GSLS to help organise better support for both PhD candidates and PhD supervisors. She strongly believes that a good and professional relationship between the PhD candidate and supervisor is vital to a successful PhD journey. Saskia is the first contact point for PhD supervisors.
Prof. dr. Toine Egberts
Egberts is Director of Doctoral Education of the Graduate School of Life Sciences in addition to his work as a hospital pharmacist and a Professor of Clinical Pharmacy. The coaching of PhD candidates gives him energy, as it balances performing research with the personal development of young academic professionals.
Dr. Anke Hammerschlag
Hammerschlag is the first point of contact for PhD candidates. You can contact her if you have questions about your PhD journey. Anke joined the PhD team of the GSLS after a PhD and a postdoc position, during which she co-supervised two PhD candidates. She works on the quality assurance of your doctoral education and is committed to improving your PhD where necessary. She is in close contact with the PhD Council and is informed what is going on in the PhD community.